Lagos Governor Flags-Off Palliative Distribution to Ease Subsidy Removal Impact 

By Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has officially commenced the distribution of food items to vulnerable households through the Lagos Food Bank Programme in order to reduce the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy on Lagos residents.

The flag off of the food bank programme is part of the social and economic intervention programmes by the Lagos State Government to ease the pains some Lagosians are currently experiencing as a result of the increase in transportation costs and food prices across the State since the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

The Food Bank initiative is an addition to the different measures put in place and currently being implemented by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. The measures include a 50 percent reduction in transportation costs in the government-owned bus system and free health services for pregnant women in government hospitals.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, while speaking at the flag-off of the Lagos Food Bank Programme at Lagos House, Ikeja on Sunday said that the programme will directly impact 500,000 benefitting households. He noted that over 2,500 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) were involved in bag manufacturing, food aggregation, packaging, and logistics, while over 25,000 employees of the MSMEs will be indirectly impacted.

The Governor assured Lagosians that adequate measures have been put in place in order to ensure that all items received get to the intended beneficiaries.

In his own words, “the Strategic goal of this programme is to reach 500,000 vulnerable households in the State with staple food items using two methodologies, which are bulk food items including 50kg Rice, 50kg Garri and 100kg Beans for groups, and food boxes including 10kg Rice, 5kg Garri, and 5kg Beans for individual vulnerable households.

“The distribution of the food items to vulnerable households will be done through Groups, Institutions, Non-governmental Organisations, Community Development Committees, People Living with Disabilities, and the Social Protection Department in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget using the Social Register of Vulnerable in the State.”

According to him, to ensure transparency in the implementation of the intervention, a Monitoring Committee with members drawn from religious groups, Trade Unions, People with Disability, Civil Society and Non-Governmental organizations, Youth Groups, Community Development Councils and representatives of the Lagos State House of Assembly will be constituted.

He assured that the government is aware of the economic challenges being experienced at the moment, stating that the policies being implemented by the Federal government are difficult but necessary measures that must be taken in order to reposition the economy on the path of sustainable development and prosperity for all citizens.

Sanwo-olu further appealed for the continued understanding of all Lagosians with the assurance that the government will do everything within its capacity to implement measures that will cushion the temporary pains of citizens.